Days Before a Promise Broken
by Devildelivery
Summary: Promise are meant to be kept, not broken. No matter how silly they sounded, Taichi always kept his words. Until the day that he acknowledged a dark secret. A secret that led him to break a promise, and yet only to keep the other one.
1. Prolouge

This story is specially for the reviewers of The Last Promise: DarkMetalAngel of Destruction; Priestess kurumi inu's sister; LuV2Writ3; Yaoi Addicted Girl; chololatelover1; Iris and Catwarrier; who encouraged me to write this story and thanks to all readers who come by, we want to hear from you, too.

For you who don't know-- or already know, whatever, this story is like another side of "The Last Promise", only it's from Taichi's side. It'd, hopefully, reveal what Taichi meant he's the special case and what wasn't told before. It can stand alone, I guess. But if you want, you can read "The Last Promise" to see what had happened, to Yamato especially.

Discliamer: TOEI wouldn't sell Digimon to me, not even a single Taichi. So sad.

**Days before a promise broken** by Redvind

_Prologue_

In the middle of summer, in a muggy room, the two teenage boys were trying to do their homework in quiet peaceful silence and trying to ignore the heat rising higher and higher every minute. The only noise to hear was their pencils' scratching until…

"NO! I'm not doing this anymore! It's too hot for a man to do anything!" the brunet cried loudly, suddenly, throwing his pencil and his paper up in the air. He secretly hoped that his peevish expression would release him from the hotness; however, his irritation only rose the temperature up even more.

"I'm dying of this evil heat," he moaned. "And my beat friend doesn't even care!" the last sentence was directed to the other boy, who was doing his work rather calmly.

Ignoring his friend's childish behavior, he said. "It'd be hotter if you keep mentioning about it."

"How can you look so calm in this boiling weather?" the brunet asked, feeling annoyed by the heat.

"I'm trying to cool myself," sweats braking over his back, he added. "So do me a favor, never say anything that relates to the word 'hot'."

"You just said it."

"Shut up."

Surprisingly, Taichi did what was told. He lied on his back, staring at the ceiling while Yamato continued doing his homework. Cicadas were producing their melody outside. Once you just **really** listened to them, the sound was indeed lulling, though there must be something to do with the heat—it made you tired and sleepy. Then again, it wouldn't be summer if not hearing them.

The blonde thought his best friend was asleep already so he was startled when the brunet mumbled. "…hey, Yamato…"

"What is it?"

"Next summer, let's go to somewhere."

That made the blonde stop writing. He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I said," Taichi sounded sleepy, but amazingly managed a comprehensible talk. It's a skill. "Let's go to somewhere…cooler…maybe a beach…"

Yamato cracked a smile, amused. "Do you realize that we'll still have homework next summer as well? And the beach is just as hot as the cities."

"But it'd be more fun at the beach. We could swim and…" The brunet yawned. "…do whatever we want. We'll finish our homework before we go, too. And invite those loud and hyperactive children and your friends…"

"Sound like fun. But I might have other plans later…" he didn't think he would have some plans later; he said it just to tease his best friend. He simply wanted to see his reaction.

"Ow, come on!" Taichi cried a little 'you-are-my-best-friend-and-you-are-supposed-to-agree-on this-with-me!' whine. "I'll buy you an ice-cream at the beach."

Yamato laughed. His best friend was predicable. "Alright. Let's go next summer."

The brunet, satisfied at his answer, took a nap right away. The blonde, with a small smile, continued to do his work. The heat was forgotten. They wished next summer would come more quickly.

Summer did come, eventually, but their little promise didn't.

Neither of them would have thought.

_To Be Continue..._

Koromon: We apologize in advance for the lateness. I will see if I can speed Red up. If Red isn't such a lazy ass...

Redvind: I'm still in the middle of exam crisis! God--anyone, help! Spare meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...


	2. Day 1: Mystery Girl

Redvind: It's been a while. Even though I make the chapter shorter than other stories, it still takes time longer than I expected. I feel so sad.

Koromon: It was a wonder, though, that you could get through all works you've gotten. But be careful, because more work still coming. singing

Redvind: If you can say that, why don't you help me write any?

Koromon: Sorry, buddy. I have no hands. /bounding/ but I do the disclaimer: when Red ruled over the world, there would be lots and lots of Taichi and Yamato plushie/bounding out of the scene happily/

**Chapter 1: Mystery Girl**

People went crazy. Their bodies beat with the music and their throat burnt with hot screaming. The heat was rising within every minute as if to melt the building down. The sight was like a mirage dancing in the desert. So unreal. Like they were somewhere between heaven and hell, not knowing where exactly to go but got struck in here. The souls were laughing. Their voices were swallowed into the background as no one could tell the different between hearing and being deaf in here. They were living, moving, enjoying.

All except one.

Or maybe two.

Taichi looked to his side, frowning. There was a girl standing with her calm face, stayed still, motionless. The expression that should not belong to the place where crazy things could happen.

Something about her wasn't right.

She dressed in black, all black from head to toe, like many others, but her clothes were so plain with none of accessories appeared on them that reminded him of the simple wears to funerals. Once in a while she would look up at the stage, now that the Teenage Wolves was playing, her expression unchanged, then looked down again as if thinking of something she didn't want to, like she'd rather be else where yet she had to be here.

The brunet's frown deepened. Next song started, people began to scream. A group of crowd rushing to the front blocked the path, making him lost sight of her. And when everything was settled and clear again, much to his confused mind, the girl was already gone.

Still, whatever impossibility that had happened, time kept going.

The concert was over. People, mostly the stuffs and the bands and their very close friends, were gathering at the backstage, doing a little celebrating on their own.

"CHEER!"

The sound erupted as everybody in the Teenage Wolves private room clinked cans of various kinds of soda. Their faces were grinning almost ear to ear, guaranteeing the good mood. The room never lacked of happy voices for a second.

"You guys are great!"

"Definitely!"

Even though they were just a debut, this concert was the first stage for the Teenage Wolves and a big step for their musical career. Everyone couldn't help but be happy for them. Both Daisuke and Miyako congratulated the Teenage Wolves' members, like, the tenth times already since they'd entered the room. Anyway, Akira, the guitarist, would bow his head as if modestly every time anyone said that and they would laugh more.

The only one that hadn't uttered a word was Taichi.

The brunet kept silence and looked deeply in thought ever since before the concert was finished. So lost in his mind that he couldn't explain. But that girl kept repeating herself and it struck him. Something about her, like, the sense of non-existence….

He just wanted to know why.

"Oi, Taichi!"

"Hmm?" said brunet startled as he was called, the puzzled look written all over. He blinked and even more confused when everybody started to crack up.

"What?" he asked.

Yamato said mockingly. "Yeah, after we had worked so hard that was all our best friend would ever say. I feel so loved."

Frown deepening, Taichi crossed his arms as if he didn't understand what the blonde said. Then he looked around, observing where he was and noticed that everybody else were trying to hold back laughter with their mount twisted or covered by hand while his best friend had a scowl on his hansom's face. It took a while before the surrounding sank in and the brunet opened his mouth wide in the shape of "O".

"Great job, Yamato!" Taichi hurriedly said with all cheerfulness. "I think you absolutely rocked the world!"

His best friend snorted. "Like you totally listened to our music. I'd seen you from the stage, you know."

The brunet winced. Well, maybe he didn't pay much attention to the concert like he should do, but he did see the reaction of craziness the crowd got…so he wasn't lying, right? And he wasn't going to doubt Yamato's eagle's eyes' ability—he could actually distinguish people's face and spot his friends easily. Taichi grinned apologetically at the blonde.

"What?!" exclaimed Daisuke. "You didn't listen? What were you doing?"

It was Akira who answered with a big amused grin. "Checking out a girl, most likely."

At that, everybody gaped. Taichi? Checking out a girl? This shouldn't come out as a shock, but considering that Taichi, the-soccer-mania-is-my-life-and-I'm-going-to-marry-a-white-and-black-ball, never found any interest in girls before. It was quite a surprise.

"Really?" Daisuke and Miyako shouted.

"A bit hard to believe, isn't it?" Sora said.

"You've finally grown up, Taichi." Jyou commented.

"It's about time your hormone start operating functionally." Koushirou spoke quietly.

"Who is she, onii-chan?" Hikari determined to know.

"What's she like?" Takeru asked.

Taichi dodged all questions and glared at the guitarist who was now making a big announcer out of himself. "Quite a looker. Creamy white skin with a little makeup. Wearing tight red leather showing her big breasts. A boy's wet dream." He nodded in confirmation. The boys howled while Hikari and Sora glared sharply.

The brunet frowned. Something Akira said wasn't right. He lifted a hand to signal the room to listen to him. "What are you talking about? She didn't dress in red."

All eyes shot at him, wide and surprised.

"So you were really checking out a girl!"

Taichi sighed irritatedly. "First of all, I wasn't checking out girls. I just happened to catch her out of the crowd." Someone whistled. Taichi ignored it. "Second of all, suppose I was looking at her, she was wearing black."

The guitarist's eyebrow knotted. "But there's no girls in black standing on the direction you're looking."

The brunet's eyes widened. "Of course there was. She was there before I lost sight of her."

"No, there was not."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Taichi wanted to question more, but Yutaka assured him. "Akira's right, Taichi. I saw you looking the other way, so I followed your glance to see what you're staring at. No girls in black standing there. I'm sure."

"They're right." Yamato said, backing them up.

The room felt strangely silent before someone assumed that it was probably the color spotlights in the concert that mixed up the color. Then the subject was dropped and a new one was started. Picking things up, they went for home.

And Taichi almost forgot about that girl. If only she didn't appear before him again in the future.

**To be Continued….**

Redvind: I think this chapter is a bit massy, but it covers almost everything to expect from it. Hope it's alright, though. I've never thought that writing a story that already has an ending would be hard like this…well, I know now.

Koromon: Mr. Review Button looks lonely. Pay him a visit, please.

Redvind&Koromon: See ya!


	3. Day 2: Rainy Day

Red: I've been being suffered by all homework. So forgive me.

Koromon: Let's make it quick and waste no time. Disclaimer: ummm...can't think of a new one. Go back to the first chapter and read it, please...

**Chapter 2: Rainy Day**

The sky looked like she was about to cry.

It was a normal day. Somehow the street was busier than ever. Two boys were heading to a hospital, a bouquet of flowers in hand.

"Tell me again why it must be us?" one of them asked his company.

They were going to visit their sempai, the captain of Odaiba high school soccer club, who was sent to hospital because of food poisoning. The club decided to send representaters go visiting him after school. Taichi volunteered to go. The others didn't want him to go alone; however, everyone else seemed to be busy that day. And his friend here was coming to the meeting late, so everybody picked him. End of the story.

Today was the day the new series of "Everlasting Fantasy"--his friend's favorite game sold and he'd heard him dying to go buy it since last week. There's nothing he could help. Taichi only gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Come on, it's not that bad. And you've already asked someone to buy one for you."

His friend didn't stop grumbling until they reached the crosswalk. The green light was on and they were about to set one foot on the street.

A motorcycle gang ran pass in front of them, ignoring the red light, causing his friend to fall on his butt.

"Where the hell are you going to, you bastard!?" his friend shout after them. One of them with orange-dyed hair even gave him a middle finger back. He cursed hatefully.

"Damn them all and their stupid motorcycles."

"Come on."

The hospital wasn't far away. They reached it in a short moment. After asking for the room number, they walked to the door, knocked and stepped inside. Laying on the bed with saline was their sempai.

"Hi there, you two!" he greeted cheerfully.

His friend said with a snort. "You don't look like a sick one at all, captain."

"How are you doing?" Taichi asked.

"I'm getting better. The nurse said I'd be out in no time."

The brunet excused himself to put the flowers in a vase. Seeing none in the room, he went out to ask for one from a nurse, letting his friend and their sempai engaged in a conversation.

The brunet went to the front desk to ask for a vase. When receiving one, he walked to the closet toilet to water the flowers. Now they looked fresh and lively. An enormous bang startled him, urging him to look out the window and saw the sky fell hard.

"Damn…" he sighed. "At least we're under a roof and not wet though it would take a while before it stopped."

Stepping out, his eyes quickly spotted a figure that he didn't have in mind at the end of the small ally that the toilet was. Again, she was wearing black, all black, quite the same clothes as the last time he saw her in the Teenage Wolves's concert. Only this time, she had a company. A guy with orange hair who looked a bit similar.

As he tried to recall where he had seen that guy before, the two of them walked down the hall, up the stairs to the deck. The girl went front. Her face was pale but her eyes were hard and her lips were thin. Her long black hair swayed, trailing the floor, superficially looking like a black, big snake and giving creepy feeling. The guy followed as if he was mindlessly enchanted.

His sight was fixed on them until they turned to another corner. Shrugging, the brunet thought he should get back to his friend and his captain already or else they would think he was ditching his friend. That's not good.

In the hall, Taichi saw a hurry coming in group of doctors and nurses rushing his way. Then, before he knew it, he was pushed against the wall and forced to witness a passing cart carrying a body, nurses asking loudly to get out of the way and for doctors. An accident, he thought. Though it was covered all by white clothe, the hair was visible. It was orange.

When it was about to turn, the cart hit the corner, revealing the body's face, a guy face, smeared with dark, fresh red fluid with raw smell before the clothe was pulled back. It stopped breathing.

The brunet recognized him now.

The guy was dead. He realized instantly.

He kept watching the direction the cart was pushed hearing the siren from outside echoing the whole hospital and more carts were being rushed in, stunned to his spot. The brunet didn't remember how he got back to his captain's room, or where his flowers had gone to.

OllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllO

After the sun set, it's always night time.

That incident never left his mind, as well as the girl.

The more he thought of it, the more it didn't make sense.

He was sure he saw that orange haired guy following the girl upstairs, yet he also saw that same guy was pushed in operation room in emergency. What could it mean…?

Cold sweats broke over his back.

No. no, maybe he was imaging things. Maybe it was some kind of jokes…

Maybe…

Deep into thought, Taichi didn't realize that he'd arrived at Yamato's apartment building. And, to his surprise, there standing in front of him was the girl in his mind, still all black as if blended with the surrounding, seemingly staring at his best friend's room. Without wasting time, he bluntly blurted.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Slowly, very slowly, the girl turned her face at him. Taichi's breath caught in his throat instinctively.

Her face was pale, now that he saw her in such close distance, so pale that he thought she had no blood in her body but her lips were so red like someone had dyed them marking them fearfully outstanding. However, her eyes were what got him most. They widened like she never expected anyone to speak to her. None, not at all. The brunet saw her lips move soundlessly, but he could hear every word echoing in his head.

_**You**_

_**Can **_

_**See**_

_**Me?**_

A large wind blew harshly, sounding like thousands of wings unfold, forcing the boy to cover his eyes. When he reopened them again, the girl was gone.

To Be Continued...

Red: Finally...this chapter is finished, so am I. Ark!

Koromon: Gotta give time so that Red can recover again...which means more lateness. /sigh/

Red&Koromon: Review!


	4. Day 3: Shinigami

Red: Don't know what had possessed me to finish this chapter so quick that I even surprised myself. Then again, "Days" chapters are shorter than other stories. I wonder why I didn't finish this story already....?

Koromon: Don't know, don't care. The disclaimer and everything is on the prologue chapter. Go and read it if you want.

OllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllO

A low voice asked. "Are you sure?"

"He was speaking directly to me so…yes." A faint voice answered.

"But shouldn't it be impossible? I mean, a normal man shouldn't be able to…" The third voice stated nervously.

"It's not really always impossible." The fort voice said, making all eyes focused on him. "It could be a rare case. What's his name?"

"Yagami Taichi."

"Yagami Taichi…Yagami Taichi…what about him?"

"He seems to be a friend of my client."

"Oh?" a grin. "It's going to be interesting, isn't it?"

A glare. A shrug. Noises stopped. A hum.

"Interesting indeed," the forth voice finally said, ending their discussion. "In fact, my friends, we might get to welcome a new company."

**Chapter 3: Shinigami**

That girl was gone. Again.

After realizing that, Taichi ran around to scan the area for the girl for a moment. But she was no where to be seen.

The brunet released a gulf of breath he didn't know he's been holding.

He tried to calm down his nerve. Maybe she's a fast runner, a really fast runner. Yeah, that must be it. He concluded as he walked toward the stairs to his friend's apartment.

A little voice in his mind told him otherwise.

OlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllO

It had been weeks since the incident. Taichi, while still wondering, completely put it past him, and tried not to think about it much. He did his routine diary life; wake up, eat, go to school, homework, friends, soccer…etc. It helped getting his mind out of things.

Well, maybe not everything helped. For one, the lecture was boring. He couldn't help but stared at the scene beyond his window while his teacher hadn't finished his intelligent but useless speech. The sky was clear today. It's a shame that they had to be imprisoned in the school building while he wished to be anywhere but in this class. He wanted to, at least, run around or slack off in the field. He wanted to be outside. Yeah. Like that girl in black was doing.

Breath caught in his throat. Taichi did a double look, and almost didn't believe his eyes. There she was. Standing still. Looking up at the building. As if waiting for something. As if expecting someone to notice her.

_Him_.

The brunet nearly broke a sweat. He closed his eyes then reopened to make sure it's not a trick his mind pulled. He met her eyes. Still empty and eerily lifelessly as he remembered. She turned around, and started to walk.

Taichi immediately sprang up from his seat, startling everyone in class and halting the lecture. He watched the direction she's going and didn't hear his teacher telling him to sit down. The teacher, annoyed, came to see what was wrong. But before he reached his desk, Taichi turned and ran out without a word. His fast footsteps echoed in the hallway. A minute later, he was out of the school building. The teacher and the classmates could only stared at the opened door, dumbfound.

One minute she was around the corner and he almost caught up with her, the next she was gone. When he thought he lost sight of her again, she would be appearing around one corner. It's like a kind of game. Taichi started to suspect if she did this on purpose—to make him follow her trail…to lead him where she wanted him to be.

The chase kept going for thirty minutes until the girl finally stopped in front of an under constructed building. The construction site was pretty busy with many workers around. Many working machines proceeded loud noises that turned off all surrounding sound.

Taichi was about to walk to her…to demand, to ask for answers whatever bugging his mind. The girl suddenly turned to him, eyes so hard and cold that Taichi halted on his step. Then she looked up, just like when she did in his school ground. He followed her sight, and stood frozen.

An echo of wail fell from the sky, seemingly louder than any machine produced, stabbing deep into hearts. He heard an enormous crash, heard a dead silence, felt the stillness of all things around. Like someone pushed the pause button to observe the caught scene, then pushed the play button when satisfied and things became clear again. Much, much clearer.

Cries were every where. People shouting and bawling and yelling. Everything was abruptly mixed up that he couldn't distinguish one word from words, one cry from cries, one scene from scenes, one thing from another. He could only watch and let them pass by.

A flick of moment was caught in the corner of his eyes. He looked at the girl. Only to find that she's now not alone. There's a new company standing beside her. A new black people. It was a tall man with hair as red as burning fire. He was lifting a hand, in a gesture of beckoning someone.

A man in jumpsuit walked toward him as if enchanted. His face was down so Taichi couldn't see. But he didn't miss the trail of rusty smell liquid on the side of his face. When he turned, however, the brunet could clearly see his opened head. Like a watermelon. All red and mushy and sloppy.

He heard a siren. An ambulance, he guessed. But it was useless now. They could never help that guy.

He's already dead.

A realization made his stomach twist and turn in an unpleasant way. It made him feel sick. So sick he wanted to throw up. And he did without minding the waste of whatever left of his lunch.

What…did he just witness?

He eventually looked up, to see that girl standing before him now. He should be wondering about why there wasn't any sound in her movement, but for a moment he didn't care.

She looked down at him, examining, observing, with those cold, lifeless eyes. She didn't say anything. Then she closed her eyes as if she had enough to see. As she gestured to walk away, Taichi shout.

"Wait!"

The girl glanced over her shoulder, waiting as asked. Her black company was nearby, with the guy chained and linked by the hands. The black guy watched them; an amused smirk appeared on his face as if enjoying the show.

Taichi finally gained courage to ask her the question he's dying to know since the beginning.

"Who…no, **what** are _you_?"

The black guy looked even more amused while the girl's expression didn't change. She moved her mouth. No voice came straight out. It echoed from every direction, one by one.

**We. Are. What. You. See.**

A blow of wind. An unfold sound of wings. They were gone. As expected.

All Taichi could think of, as he unconsciously walked back to school, was that he just saw the Death.

No one was going to believe him. Which was just fine.

He wasn't going to tell anybody anyway.

**TBC**.

Koromon: Reviews would be nice, you know, at least they tell Red that someone's still read this crap. Or else Red's going to mope in a dark corner again.


	5. Day 4: Witness

Disclaimer:....Koromon says he's too sick to move...so...go and see it on the first chapter, please

OlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllO

His mind was playing trick with him. His mind was playing trick with him.

The girl wasn't real. That red haired man wasn't real. That worker wasn't dead.

He repeated the sentence in his head, over and over, like it was some key answer to his test tomorrow, as if afraid to forget it,

As if to make it real, as if to convince himself it's real.

It wasn't.

And his mind wasn't playing trick with him. He just wished it were.

**Day 4: Witness**

Taichi was tried. He hadn't had enough sleep for about a week. The dream kept refreshing each night and he would stay awake after that for unknown hours. And he could no longer denying that he was not…afraid.

Of course he was afraid. To be honest to himself and the world. In a sudden he felt like the world he always knew had gone and left with nothingness, like a life was unreal, like his closed eyes had been awoken…

…like death was with him anywhere he went.

He couldn't help thinking how stupid it felt. At this age of his life, he shouldn't be thinking about death. He should be thinking about his future—what he wanted to do after graduation, the next soccer match, his upcoming tests, his next classes, his family and friends, or even a stupid thing like what he wanted to eat at lunch. Death was simply what a young teenager like him wouldn't give a thought. But now….

Now he was scared. His heart felt cold each time he intentionally recalled. And sometimes the more he thought, the more scared he got. It got him nowhere of this misery.

But as days continued, Taichi couldn't just let them pass by. He woke up every morning, ate, went to school, talked and laughed with friends, came home, talked more with his family and slept for the next day. Nothing changed. Nothing out of ordinary. Like a rule. You can't just break the line. Only his heart was different. It felt heavier.

He didn't tell anyone why he ran out of class that day and only laughed along when his friends told him what happened after. How could he say he left to witness someone taken by Death. It sounded bitter on his tongue. It would poison them.

"Hey, Taichi. Wanna go to game center with us today?"

"Sure. Why not?"

So he held it back, and laughed along their unknown minds. The activities kept his head occupied, but fate had to always rub itself on him.

On his way back, again, standing a black figure invisibly to others. As if the passing people had nothing to do with her. Not their presence that she cared. And now he could only stand still. Fortunately for him, it was a cross road. The cross light was red.

Taichi looked at the girl, noticing her glace on a little boy. His heart beat faster and faster. She never once took her eyes of the kid.

This was not good.

A cap the boy was wearing got caught by the evening wind and flied to the street. Surprised, the boy looked up and ran to catch it.

Her eyes followed his every move. Like an eagle observed its prey.

Startled, Taichi cried.

"Hey!"

That alerted people around him to turn and see where and why the voice came from. Including a kind looking man standing before the boy. He immediately saw the little boy and his flying cap, and caught it for him. Just before the cap was out in the street. The man gave it back to the boy who thanked him happily.

The black figure's eyes left the boy now. Taichi sighed in relief and cheered inside. A life was saved now.

As he turned to, perhaps, mock her, he noticed that she was as calm as ever. And it made him nervous. He thought she would at least feel insulted since her plan was ruined. So what made the still expression?

The light turned green and people began to move. Then, unexpected to anyone, a car rushed through its red light and crushed, hard, into a man, the very same man who caught the cap of the little boy, until his body went flying. A loud noise compared to an explosion made everyone deaf for the following seconds. The blood spouted like crimson rain from heaven. One could never believe there'd be so much blood in a human's body.

Time seemed to slow. The body was falling down, to the ground, to where it should be.

As soon as the body hit the hard concrete, the mute sound all gone, a loud scream erupted. Then there was a lot of noise from everywhere.

It was too fast. It happened too fast.

Taichi could only watch, his heart cold and his body felt no heat. Even his feet stood frozen. His eyes saw what happened, but his brain refused to accept it. It took him time to comprehend, and that's when the black figure beside him spoke up.

_**Come. Here.**_

At her words, the brunet saw the man, no—his spirit, get up and walk toward her like an obedient pet. The next second he was chained and led away, but not before she glanced his way.

They were gone in a blink of an eye.

Unmindful to the situation around him, Taichi stared hard where those two were a moment ago. As things became clearer and clearer, something twisted in his stomach.

So he turned, and fled.

**TBC.**

Red: at first this chapter would be longer than this. Anyway, I guess shortening it would be better, so I did. The next chapter should come out a little later, though.

R&R, please.


	6. Day 5: Associate

Red: disclaimer....disclaimer.....where is my Koromon? Ah, right, he's still sick....so, enjoy the story while he's recovering!

**Day 5: Associate **

Ran as long as he wanted, he knew he could never get away from his fault. But he kept on, on and on, until he's out of breath, until his legs couldn't move anymore, until the sight no longer haunted his eyes, until his heart cried before it broke.

Taichi lied back on the grassland in a park, trying to calm his nerves down. He wished more than anything now, that today were a dream and he would suddenly wake up, like he usually did these last few weeks. How absurd. He never thought there would be a day he wished to get less sleep.

But it's no use. No matter how long he closed his eyes, he couldn't pretend and fool himself. When he reopened them, he would see the same sky, the floating clouds and a black figure with fiery hair above him…

Wait…a black figure?

Taichi sat up so fast that if the black figure didn't step back in time, or if he was real to begin with, their head would bump against each other pretty hard.

_**Jeez, you should be more careful next time, got it?**_

Taichi was confused. This guy was the black cape man he saw other day. What was he doing here…and talking to him nonetheless?

Could it be….?

As Taichi looked ready to run off, the black guy spoke again in a more playful voice.

_**Nah. Try if you want, but you can't run away from Me. Us, more specifically. **_

That made him pause and frown. He could read his mind?

_**No. but your face says all. Now, now. Why don't you just relax? It's a good time for a chat, don't you think?**_

"With people like you….?"

Taichi asked aloud. He didn't mean to sound like a brat, but these black people had made him uneasy for a while. Good thing no one's around to hear. It would look like he's talking to himself since others seemed unable to see them.

_**Ouch. That's hurt! Why do you hate us so bad? **_

Unlike his colleague, the black guy said playfully and showed emotions. Though there's something behind his eyes that Taichi couldn't trust. So the brunet looked wearily at him.

"I don't think I hate you…it's just…uncanny. I know you aren't normal people."

_**Man, aren't you smart.**_

"Shut up. What do you want, anyway?"

_**A nice chat, actually, I guess. Since you look so confused, I just want to show you an enlightened way.**_

Now he posed like an angel from above. Taichi frowned at his act, unsure whether he's serious or not. He decided to play along.

"Oh, yeah. Sir Saint from heaven, why don't you tell me already all you know?"

_**Nah. I know a lot of things and don't know a lot of things. You need to be more specific.**_

The guy looked like he was playing, but his voice was serious enough to interest the brunet. So Taichi, glaring, did as suggested.

"Fine. Then, first of all, who are you?"

Somehow the guy was delight at his first question.

_**Ah, that. The more appropriate term should be "What are we?", don't you think? Because we are not normal people, like you have stated. **_

"Alright. I will ask again. What are you?"

_**This I can answer. We are what you call "shinigami", "soul reaper", "angel of death", yada, yada. Whatever you prefer.**_

He didn't know if he really expected that answer. Maybe half of his heart was curious to find the truth, but the other half, covered with things that made it shaking, held him back. Now that he heard the answer, he didn't think he was glad to find out for sure.

"Shinigami, hmm…? So…you do kill people."

And the worse in his heart spread wide. It was hard to not let fear take over this human suit called Taichi. The guy, despite the brunet's guard and glaring, was acting with ease.

_**We never need to. Our job is to lead them to the next world. Like a guide, I think.**_

"You think?"

_**I've heard there're more specific duties, but normally we just lead the souls.**_

That's not going to make him believe it.

"You said you don't kill people, then why is it that wherever you are, there must be someone dying?"

_**Because we are waiting. We don't kill. We wait until it's time and the soul comes out, then we take it. Like…what do they say…? Like it's a good feeling to know someone's waiting for you at home? Something like that?**_

Was it…really like that?

"A home when you die? Yeah, I sure would be grateful of that."

_**You better be. You don't know what would happen to those souls having no one to pick them up.**_

The more he talked to the guy, the more he felt himself relaxed. Maybe it's because of his simple presence; it's like talking to a long time friend he'd been missing. Plus, the guy didn't mind him asking question after questions.

"What would happen, then?"

_**They will be lost, like, almost forever. No places to go. Nothing to do. Until someone found them. Come on, stop testing me.**_

"Testing you?"

The guy simply grinned.

_**I know you don't really trust me. Yeah, yeah. I got it. Who in their right mind would, right? But that's not the point. The point is you have been testing me to see if I will tell you the truth. And I dare say I do. Telling you the truth, that is. So, now that you know, why don't you ask me the question you're dying to know?**_

Could he? Somewhere deep in his sub-consciousness, he knew he could. And he would get the answer. Closing his eyes, he started.

"Today…I saw your people. A girl."

Reopening them, he stared straight into the eyes of death.

"She was looking real hard at this little kid. I suspected he was the target. He was about to run out to the street, but he was saved beforehand. I thought she's going to back off since no one's dying…"

_**But there was someone dying. Right? Someone who saved that kid?**_

Surprised that the guy knew before he finished, he asked. "How did you know?"

_**Simple. It's a rule. Saving someone is like giving them a new life. Especially if that someone is going to die, it'd be like giving up your lifetime to them. Have you heard of stories about mothers giving birth to the child knowing they would die? It's something like that.**_ _**Tragic, yet beautiful.**_

It was unreasonable, to his mind at least. "But why did he have to die? He did good, right? Saving a life and all."

_**Yes. What he did was good, but it's not the point here. The point is, that kid should have been dead today. His lifetime was over. He shouldn't be alive, but he is. Fate demanded one life to be missing. No one can change that. If he's going to live, someone had to take his place. So that man had to die instead. **_

It was like a logic story to a little child. Telling all or nothing. "Why not me? I was the one who alerted them."

_**Well…because that's all you did. I mean, anyone can cry out anytime, right? And that wouldn't change anything. But..**_

_**That man did something. He could just let it go…ignore the event and let the kid die. But, no, he saved that kid's life. He changed the little kid's fate. Because he interfered, the kid didn't die like he was supposed to. And he had to pay for it. Intentionally or not. It's only fair. **_

Was it?

"That man shouldn't have died. It didn't mean to die. He didn't _know_."

_**No. But no one else knew. **_**You**_** didn't know. Just like him. Don't think it's your fault. It's not. It's just the **_**rule**_**.**_

Taichi didn't look happy at his comforting words. The guy, seeing his troubled face, tried another alternative process, voice dipping low and venom, hissing and trashing.

_**Are you saying you'd rather die instead of the man? **_

_**Of the little kid? **_

_**Of both of them? **_

_**Are you willing to?**_

The stare and words were direct to him, piercing deep to his heart. He was lost for words. What was there to say…?

"I…"

A mad heroic would shout that, yes, he would. And at first he almost dared say that. But he was not some kind of hero. The stillness in that sharp glance made him swallow them back and think it over.

What was there to answer…?

Could he possibly give up his life to a stranger? To someone he knew? To anyone?

"I…"

He had only one life. It's not like giving a snack to friends. It couldn't be taken back. There's still so much more to see, to do, to enjoy. Could he really give it up? Even if it's not about giving life to a strange?

In the end Taichi didn't answer. The guy didn't prompt him, either.

"…why are you here?"

_**Like I said, I just wanted to chat with you. Nice weather, hmm?**_

The guy was back to playful presence, leaving Taichi with his own double troubled confusion.

"No. Why are you telling me this? Why can I see you? Why are your kinds always around _me_? Am I going to _die_?"

Taichi knew he almost screamed of frustration. His head hurt. Somewhat, the guy once looked confused. Just a little bit, and the brunet wasn't sure if he could trust that expression.

_**What are you talking about? It's not you. **_

"What? What did you mean…?"

From faraway sight, his eyes widened in realization.

"Taichi! There you are!"

Like the cloud in his head was gone and clear. Like the light in a dark room was suddenly turned on.

"What are you doing here? Your mom called me. Said you weren't home yet. You really got them worried."

No. they weren't after him. He saw them many times just because they were at the same place he was. The same place he was with his friends. One certain friend he spent his times with most.

"Hey, you alright? Aren't you gonna say something? You've been acting weird, Taichi."

Yamato.

The same black girl was following behind his back.

**TBC.**

**Red: **I bet you know where this will be leading...What? No? Ah, alright, then.


End file.
